AVP: A Hunter's Honor
by Lemon Leopard
Summary: After the events in the pyramid, Lex returned home with Scar's mask and the Elder's combistick. While trying to piece her life back together, she is kidnapped in the middle of the night by Weyland Industries. During her quest to stay alive, her path crosses with Scar's again as he seeks his mask to prove his honor. Will they make it out alive or not? -IN REWRITE-ATTN READERS
1. Chpt 1

_**A.N.:**_Hi! I am glad that you clicked on this story and I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own AVP.

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_**Chapter One**_

_**New Findings**_

All of her children – gone. Destroyed. Mercilessly killed by the very species that kept her imprisoned far beneath the frozen ground for countless time. Time and time again, she was forced to lay her precious eggs, only to feel them grow stronger with each passing minute, to grow more connected with each single one – and then have their life ended so painfully. Every time, it caused her so much pain, both physical and emotional, that she withdrew her head into her crown when her last child was killed in – _their_ hunt – and would await to be awakened for the next hunt.

She stops struggling as the heavy object her chain is tethered to pulls her further and further down into the depths of the water, the temperature dropping more and more. The cold does not affect her strength, though. She is too strong for that. Rather, it is the own pain she feels as she was so close – so close to her freedom with her children! She was so close she could taste it in the air. She roared with triumph as she had raced through what was her prison, making sure to ram her massive crest into the low ceiling. Her children were with her, too! She thought of it as an even greater victory! _They_ had lost the fight. She was so excited that she urged her daughters ahead, wanting them to be the first to taste the fresh air of this planet! She wanted to feel that mental connection with her children! Not the pain of their awful deaths, but their glee of knowing what it felt like to be free!

Then it reached her. That familiar, pounding headache, feeling as though the top of her head had been blown off. No. _They_ were still alive! _They _were still hunting! She felt her remaining children, how fear consumed them briefly, but then how they shook the fear off and turned to avenge their fallen sister. Through her children's minds, she could understand that there were two of _them_. Before she could get a clearer image, she came to a large, open space where her three remaining children stood, one of their domed heads scarred with the crisscross pattern of _their _nets. She called to her children, but then the ground rumbled beneath her feet and a sudden heat came upon her back. She turned about and saw tongues of flame racing towards her and her children! Just as she turned with the intent to shield them from the fiery blast, a large rock had fallen from the ceiling and struck her on the head, bringing her unconscious form to the ground.

When she awoke, she hissed, hoping to get a picture of what her surroundings looked like. She was buried beneath tons of rock and ice. She called out to her children, particularly to her child who bore the crisscross scars, but her calls went unanswered. Their life forces, which she had bonded with, were gone. The rage blinded her to logical thinking and instinct drove her as she began clawing her way to the surface. She had forgotten the taste of freedom and the company of her children. Instinct drove her every action, even driving caution away. She finally broke through the surface and found the two standing there. _They_ were the ones!

That was all that ran through her mind as rage and instinct drove her every move. She was so close – so close to freedom. She was one bite away from killing the larger one – but then a powerful, sharp tug removed _its_ weight from her tail and she was pulled back. She was one bite away from killing the smaller one – but then she was pulled into the icy cold body of water. If she had just stretched a little more before she was pulled under, she would have killed at least one of _them_. She also remembered the pain in her head when she pierced the larger one. One of her young was inside of _it_. Her rage and instinct drove her to pierce her child in the process of trying to kill _it_. If her rage had not clouded her judgment, suspended her logic and brought her back to primal instinct, then maybe she could have saved her one last child.

But that, too, is another pain she must now endure. She never thought she would kill one of her own offspring. She never thought it possible. The want to sleep begins to overtake her. Her strength and anger fades away as her muscles begin to relax. This icy cold water is no different than that icy cold chamber she had been chained in for countless time. Once again, she is a prisoner. She will never know freedom. Never.

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As she watches the large alien spacecraft ascend into the night sky, she clutches the spear in her hand. The metal where the other hunter's hand had been is warm to touch, and so she shifts her fingers over, seeking any warmth she can find in this bitter cold. A persistent, icy wind rushes against her, whipping her black hair about as the ship turns one hundred eighty degrees and starts forward, cloaking itself just as the hunters did. The ship's nearly hidden figure ascends higher and higher, its hum growing fainter and fainter, and like ripples in the water going in reverse back to the point which they started, the ship disappears in the clouds. But she is not at the point which the ripples of this nightmare had started. Death, the scar on her cheek, the spear in her hand, and the total isolation of this graveyard are proof. The only thing reminding her this is not a nightmare but reality is the warmth of the metal spear in her hand and the slight sting in her cheek where the mark is.

She lowers her gaze after what seems hours of staring up into the cloudy night sky where she last saw the ship. Looking about, she sees the damage of the expansive battlefield turned into a graveyard. Several burning fires rise from the buildings the large Queen had crashed into. Far off, she sees the gaping black hole where most of the nightmare's events had taken place. That massive, black pit holds the ashes of Sebastian, of Mr. Weyland, Mr. Miller – of everybody she went down there with. Despite the freezing cold, she walks the considerable distance back to the edge of the hole where she and the hunter had stood when he marked her.

When he removed his mask – god, was he hideous. She wanted to scream when she saw that crab-like mouth with his four mandibles, but she restrained herself. It did not help when he roared. The sound was almost deafening, her eardrums ringing as he continued, but she knew he was testing her. She kept her hands at her side, refusing to shield her eyes from his face and her ears from his roar. It seemed an eternity, but finally his roar ebbed to soft purring and his flared mandibles returned to their relaxed position. That was when she forced herself to look at his eyes which sat far back in his skull beneath a thick brow ridge. Like human eyebrows his ridge had lifted to a more relaxed and less threatening position, giving more light to his eyes. They were definitely alien, but they had a human-like quality to them. She was and still is not sure what it was about them. It definitely was not the color as she had never seen a human with golden eyes. Perhaps it was the emotions shaping his face that she could recognize.

Then he pulled the alien's finger from his belt and held it before her. She was not sure what he was doing, but then she saw the fresh scar in the middle of his large forehead. He wanted to mark her. Before she could even say whether she wanted to accept it or not, he moved the tip of the claw to her skin and pressed, the drop of acid on it eating away her flesh as he trailed it down with a slight curve. She gritted her teeth together and did not release them as the claw lifted, knowing he had yet to make the second arc. Then the acid began eating her flesh again as he carved the last arc into her cheek. It burned like hell, but she knew not to scream. To do so would be to fail the test – whatever that test was. It was a test of strength, no doubt, but specifically strength for what, she is still not quite sure. The strength of a warrior, maybe.

A small sigh escapes her lips as she takes a step back. She should get out of here. The cold is starting to really hurt. It hurt before, but now it is getting worse. She turns from the massive grave and spots a snow vehicle a few meters away. At least she has some sort of ride back to civilization. She starts towards it, but kicks a large object with her right foot. Halting in her tracks, she peers down at the object in question. Her jaw drops slightly as the black eyes of the hunter's mask seem to stare back up at her. That same mask that he had aimed the red lasers at her head before with the intent to kill her. That same mask that hid his alien face. That same mask that bore the mark.

She stares at it for a few seconds before gingerly scooping the mask off the snow. It is surprising light, considering its large size and metallic appearance. The hunter must have dropped it to the ground when he turned with her to face the large Queen. Why had the other hunters not bothered to pick it up when they took their comrade's dead body aboard their ship? Did they not know? Did they see him drop it and forget? Was it some sort of cultural thing? Or was it simply not of much importance to them?

Shaking her head of the questions, she knows she will never know the answer to this mystery. She turns to the pit and arcs her arm back, preparing to throw the piece of evidence into the pit below, but she stops mid-throw as her eyes meet the black lens of the mask, her reflection faintly mirrored in them. To just throw it away seems – wrong. The hunter died earning this mark on his mask. All the years of training and dedication he probably did so he could earn this mark seems like something that is not to be thrown down into a big black pit with the ashes of the dead.

She brings the mask close to her stomach. What should she do with it? It also seems wrong to just leave it lying in the snow. Well – what can she do but take it with her? If she ever gets any extra-terrestrial visitors to her home, she will know what they want. Until then, she will hold onto it and keep it safe. She starts towards the snow vehicle again, desperately needing to get out of the bone-chilling cold. She will not be surprised if she has a bit of frostbite on her feet right now.

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He sent three Unblooded Yautja down to earn their marks. Only one, his own son, lived to earn his mark. Now he lies there on the stretcher, his blood still slowly pouring from the two gaping wounds, one in his right shoulder and the other in his chest. Though he bears the loss of his son, he holds his head up and looks to the others.

"**Scan him,**" he clicks in their native tongue.

The blooded medics who had carried him aboard nod respectfully and turn their attention to the dead Yautja they had set on the ground. Switching the vision modes in their masks, one medic notices something strange in his chest cavity. He squats and upon closer inspection, recognizes the remains of a Serpent inside of him.

"**Inside him,**" the medic jumps to his feet and points down at the chest wound, "**a Serpent is inside of him!**"

The other three medics rush to his side and examine his findings. A wave of concern rushes through the other blooded Yautja, all of them starting to question the integrity of the Elder's deceased son.

"**It is true,**" another medic confirms.

Upon hearing these words, all eyes turn to their Elder, Sen'fli. His ears pick up the others' quiet clicking, "**d****id he have the Serpent inside of him before he marked himself?**"

"**Well, if he did, then he is certainly undeserving of the honor he currently holds.**"

"**Since that is the case, then he is a bad blood.**"

"**Silence!**" Sen'fli roars in anger at such a ridiculous assumption.

Not one click, chirp, or trill comes out of their mouths.

"**Cica'trice, my son, was raised under my guidance! Never would he bring such dishonor upon himself and upon me!** **All of you should know better than to assume such a thing, let alone question it!**"

His fellow Elder, Ul'kelyok, steps forward, "**Sen'fli, do not think for a minute that any of us doubt your honor and integrity, and assuming your son would bring dishonor upon you and himself is outright stupidity – but we are right in questioning which happened first. Was he infected with the Serpent after he marked himself – or before he marked himself?**"

Sen'fli nearly forgets to return the respect his fellow Elder had shown him as he growls softly.

Ul'kelyok's brow ridge lifts in surprise, but he quickly turns his attention to the medics, "**is the Serpent dead?**"

One of them nods, "**yes, it is fortunate that the Serpent's blood is not potent at the stage of development it was in when it was killed.**"

Ul'kelyok nods once, "**g****ood, prepare him for burial.**"

The medics nod once more and turn back to the corpse of the questionable hunter, picking up the stretcher and carrying him out of the launch bay. Sen'fli watches until the door slides shut behind them. On the outside he appears cool and composed, but on the inside he cannot help the contempt he holds towards every Yautja standing there. They questioned the integrity of his son. Sen'fli raised Cica from when he was a pup, training him for the hunt. His son was always honest and never told a lie. Never! Sen'fli raised him this way. He knows his son would never do such a thing!

The other Yautja begin to disperse back to their quarters slowly, exiting the launch bay a few at a time until only Ul'kelyok and Sen'fli remain. His fellow Elder and brother has never gone against him. He could always rely on him, no matter what it was that he needed to get through, his brother was always there to support him. Now, though, he looks his brother over. Wearing a thick fur cloak and ceremonial armor, he stands there with – indifference.

"**Why do you doubt my word, brother? You have known Cica ever since he was a suckling. Has he ever told a lie? Has he ever chosen the actions of a bad blood?**"

Ul'kelyok shakes his head, "**i****t is not your word I doubt, but rather Cica'trice's.**"

"**He is dead! He cannot speak for his own honor, and so that burden falls to me, and I have given you the truthful verdict.**"

"**Based on what evidence?**"

Sen'fli spreads his mandibles and opens his mouth to respond, but he suddenly realizes the corner his brother has backed him into.

"**Just because your son demonstrated what you claim to be perfect integrity does not mean that he rightfully marked himself.**"

Sen'fli growls softly, something in his brother having changed very recently. He expected Ul'kelyok to be the one to comfort him the most for his son's passing, but he is doing quite the opposite, "**t****hose who are faithful in small matters,**" Sen'fli clicks,"**are also faithful in large ones. My son was always honest, not a word of falsehood came from his mouth. Even if he did wrong, when questioned he answered truthfully, he never tried hide the truth from anyone.**"

Ul'kelyok is silenced for a few seconds.

"**Go and mourn your son, Sen'fli,**" Ul'kelyok growls with an edge of bitterness, "**we will discuss this matter later,**" as his brother turns to leave, one of the medics comes rushing in, his mask having been removed sometime between when he left and now.

"**Elder Sen'fli!**" the medic roars, quickly coming before him, getting down on his knee and thumping his fist against his chest, his gaze lowering in humility and respect.

"**Why did you come back here?**"

"**Your son…,**" no clicks come from him.

"**Spit it out! What is it?!**" Ul'kelyok growls with impatience.

"**Cica'trice,**" the medic does not lift his gaze, "**he lives.**"

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_**A.N.: **__**This chapter has been edited grammatically, and I changed the Elders' names to Sen'fli, Scar's dad, and Ul'kelyok, Scar's Uncle and Sen'fli's brother. In Yautja POV, the Xenos will be referred to as Serpents. These changes are simply to help keep a sci-fi feel to the characters and also to help those who are not well versed in Yautja language to understand the story. It also makes it easier for me as the author to write this. Thanks for keeping this in mind.**_


	2. Chpt 2

_**A.N.:**_Second chapter! Enjoy! _**Sage is now Sen'fli and Scep'tique is Ul'kelyok. Also, Celtic is Kliaj. Once again, this is to help create a sci-fi feel for the characters. I have also gone through and changed the foreign Yautja words to normal English for two reasons: 1. It is easier for the readers who are not familiar with the Yautja language to read and 2. It is easier for me to write and understand. Thanks for keeping this in mind!**_

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_**Chapter 2 **_

_**Abomination**_

He could feel the Serpent moving inside of him. It would stretch a little, and then it would recoil, causing him chest pain, as if a small flame was sitting inside of him, slowly eating him from the inside out. What a fool he was! He had become so consumed in the moment of his marking that he forgot to stay in tune with his environment.

The only thing he remembers is rising from the carcass of the dead Serpent, his forehead still stinging from the mark. He was lost in the wonderful pain of his new mark as he turned around, only to have his world turned black by a round, eight-legged object. Something had wrapped around his throat and tightened so much that he could barely breathe. He knew instantly what it was as his strength was quickly taken from him, his knees buckling under him and bringing him to the cold ground.

He remembers how the world appeared as he opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw when he awoke was the Serpent carrier beside his face, underside up, its eight-legs curled in death. Its long tail was still loosely wrapped around his throat. With an angry growl, he pulled the tail from around his neck and jumped to his feet. That was when he felt something move within his chest. He snarled from the sudden burning pain inside of him and he knew instantly what it was. The abomination was feeding off of him, taking his traits into its own body.

He knew solely based on the amount of movement and pain the abomination was causing him that he did not have long before it was ready for its birth. Maybe half of a day on this backwater planet, which humans call earth. If he was lucky, then nearly a full day. If he could get back to the ship before then, the medics would be able to remove it from him and destroy it. If not – then he would sever the abomination's head from its body by driving his knife through his chest. Either way, he knew his and his father's honor were now tainted. Not nearly as bad as if he had chosen to mark himself after having the abomination placed inside of him. He could redeem himself by repeating the Serpent Trial and bringing back whatever trophy his Elders specified. No doubt his father would be angry with him for letting such a thing happen. He is not the first Unblooded to have this happen too, and he will not be the last, but it still is shameful nonetheless when it does happen. It is not a proud battle scar.

With this heavy guilt inside of him, he gathered his mask and reattached it to his face, plugging in the right tubes before turning with the intent to reach the surface again. Of course it was not without its obstacles. Nothing is ever so easy. He still had to recover his shoulder cannon from the humans. If he left this place without it, then his Trial would not be complete and he would bring further dishonor upon himself. To emerge with a Serpent inside of him and without his shoulder cannon can be nearly as bad as if he had marked himself after being impregnated with the abomination.

He tried to clear his mind of the situation so that he could focus on the task at hand, but he found difficultly in doing so. If he came out of this place alive, it would be sometime before he could meet his father's gaze again. Even if he succeeds in redeeming his honor on a second Serpent Trial, he would still have to earn his father's forgiveness. This will no doubt reflect back on his father, one of the most highly respected Elders of his Clan. His honor – just thinking about this made him sick to his stomach. Not every Yautja to be impregnated with the Serpent and survive was the son of an Elder, so the severity of their mistake was not as great. This would not pass him anytime soon. Perhaps this would never be put past him. The best he could do now was to recover his shoulder cannon and come to the surface again.

So, he set out to do so. He found two sets of bright orange tracks left by the humans and followed them down the corridors. In order to conserve his armor's energy, he did not cloak himself.

As he continued along the halls, he heard some screaming coming from a human and the excited screech of a Serpent. They were coming his way. Hopefully there was no damage done to his shoulder cannon. He hid behind the pillar to his left and cloaked himself, listening intently as they drew closer. No doubt the Serpent meant for this human to be a host. Otherwise, the human would be dead already.

He waited behind the pillar as the Serpent came into view with the human in tow. He recognized the pattern on the Serpent's head. It was left by a net shot from a netgun. This was his cousin, Kliaj's, favored method of attack; to ensnare his prey in the net and then finish them off with either his wrist blades, combistick, or knife. If this Serpent was alive, then that only meant that Kliaj did not win the fight. He was about to attack out of anger, but he restrained himself as the abomination moved about inside of him, sending a powerful jolt of pain down into his gut. Perhaps his estimation in its birth was wrong. Perhaps it would come sooner! He tried to ignore the pain that nearly wracked his whole body as he thought of how much was at stake.

He had to get his shoulder cannon. There was no telling of the female human's condition at this point. At least she was not with this Serpent, but there was no way of knowing if she was being dragged by another. He had to find her. As soon as the Serpent and the male human were gone, he uncloaked himself and followed the trail the opposite way the human was dragged. It was only logical to assume that the female would move further away from the threat.

His bright orange pheromone trail was as clear as one long blood smear. As he continued on further, he noticed a bridge up ahead and a large divide in it. He drew closer until he stood at the ledge of the wide gap, staring down into the deep chasm beneath. This did not bode well. He peered down into the darkness, searching for any heat signature that could be the dead body of the female. If she had fallen, then there was a chance that his shoulder cannon was damaged. He did not find any corpse below that had warm flesh on its bones, though.

That could mean one of two things: Either she was dragged away by another Serpent or she had made it across the chasm and was wandering aimlessly with his shoulder cannon. He lifted his gaze and saw that on the other side of the chasm was the pheromone trail of the human male and the Serpent. He followed the orange trail across the chasm and back to his left side. The Serpent had leaped across the chasm, captured the human, leapt back to the other side and dragged him towards the sacrificial chamber. He looked back to the other side and saw one set of bright orange footsteps heading further down the hall. The female went that way.

He crouched low and then sprang up, leaping across the gap and landing safely and quietly on the other side. He knew he had to move fast when another burning pain filled his chest as the abomination moved inside of him. With a soft snarl he walked quickly, following her highlighted steps. He came to a fork in the hall and her steps went to the left. So he turned the bend and saw her distant heat signature. She was completely unaware of his presence as he took longer strides towards her. There was his shoulder cannon highlighted in a darker orange amongst the rest of her contents in her pack still in perfect condition. As he came nearer, he slowed in his steps and extended his wrist blades, hoping that she would turn around so he could take his shoulder cannon and reduce the amount of damage in the process.

She spun around at the sound as he wanted, but did something unexpected.

"Wait!" she raised her hands in not defense – but surrender. He stopped. What was she up to?

He watched her every move closely. If she did anything to try and attack him, he had every right to respond in kind and take his shoulder cannon.

"Wait," she pleaded. Slowly, she moved her hands to the straps about her shoulders and slipped the pack off her back, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," slowly, she knelt to the floor and opened her pack, revealing his shoulder cannon inside, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

He did not care what she was saying, just as long as she handed over his shoulder cannon. Then her attention was drawn over his shoulder and he noticed the looming presence of something behind him. He spun around and came face to face with a Serpent.

As he reached for his combistick and extended it, the Serpent screeched in anger and rammed him into the wall, his combistick flying from his hand. The Serpent's claws scratched at him, leaving long marks down his chest and stomach armor. He was able to bring his leg up against its belly and push hard. He sent the Serpent flying into the opposite wall. He extended his wrist blades to their full length and started towards it as it regained its footing, but stopped when it turned its attention to the female human on the floor. His shoulder cannon is there! The Serpent was too fast for him, though, as it leaped at her – only to see the point of his combistick emerge from his back, halting its attack on the human. Out of luck, she had grabbed his combistick and impaled it.

He watched, ready to intervene should his shoulder cannon come in the path of any danger, but that did not happen. The Serpent flailed helplessly, its tail flying about, trying to strike off the human's head, but to no avail. As its weight slid further down the combistick, its form weakened more and more. Its strikes to the wall no longer chipped stone. Finally, the Serpent bowed its head to the left and its upper lip gave one last twitch. It was dead.

The human began to whimper as she eyed the Serpent. She made one nearly fatal mistake of moving the combistick too soon. In a position such as she was in, she had impaled its nervous system and any quick movement would cause involuntary reflexes. Sure enough, the Serpent turned its head to the human and its inner mouth shot out, so close to piercing her head, but it was short.

Quickly, he moved forward and took the shoulder cannon from her pack. As soon as he felt the cool metal of it in his palm, he thought that perhaps things were starting to look up. Maybe he would get out of here alive. Maybe he would be able to redeem himself and bring honor back to both himself and his father.

He straightened and attached his shoulder cannon to the empty mount on his left shoulder. Then his gaze fell on the human, her beating heart a reminder that she still lived. He aimed the three lasers at her head. She showed some skill in defending herself, and now she held his combistick, which in turn made her a worthy opponent. The screeches of multiple Serpents sounded behind him, however, and so he spun around to face them, all the while keeping his ears focused on the human's movements behind him. He would not fall prey again to something sneaking up behind him. He kept his wrist blades extended in case he had to fight the human with his combistick.

He aimed at the first Serpent closest to him running quickly along the ceiling. A jolt of excitement sailed through him as energy traveled up his armor and gathered into the barrel of the shoulder cannon. The energy became too much and was propelled out of the barrel with impressive speed, blasting the Serpent in the blink of an eye. He moved his sight to another one and shot it, a small smile spreading his mandibles as he watched the ball of energy rip it to little pieces. He shot another and another, unable to wipe the smile off his face as he continued blasting the Serpents to pieces. All the while, he kept listening to the human's movements. She had not moved, only her heat beating faster than normal, no doubt frightened.

By Paya, did he feel alive! He had a whole image of his surroundings. He found the beautiful balance of focusing on both the human and the Serpents. His father always spoke of finding that perfect balance of focus; of being able to learn the layout of his environment without fully seeing it. Whenever his father took him on mock hunts to teach him this balance, he never understood how his father could do it! It frustrated him beyond his own control and he allowed anger to blind him in his actions for short durations of time. This was the moment he truly understood all those years of training and of trying to find that perfect balance of focus. His father did say he would find it in the heat of the true hunt, but he did not believe him until this moment.

That moment of excitement ended, however, when the Serpents suddenly turned and retreated, disappearing into hidden crevices and down the hall. They were gone just like that. There was a brief second of anger at their sudden retreat, but then another burning pain filled his chest. His hand flew to his armor, his own claws scraping it lightly as the abomination moved around. His other hand went down to his knife strapped to his thigh, but then it stopped moving and the pain ceased. Every moment he lingered was wasted time. His and his father's honor depended heavily upon his return to the Clan.

He had to collect his combistick before he made his way to the surface. Turning around, he faced the fearful human again and growled when he saw her small hands still wrapped about his weapon. He moved forward with his wrist blades, lifting them high in preparation to strike, but then she quickly relinquished her hold on his combistick and crawled further back against the wall. He halted his advance. With a small smile beneath his mask, he retracted his wrist blades and retrieved his combistick from the Serpent, sheathing it and attaching it to his back. He turned, taking several quick steps forward until the human's voice filled his ears.

"Wait!"

He did not wait. He kept going, his steps starting to quicken.

She began to follow him, "hey, I'm coming with you, you ugly mo-"

An angry growl escaped him as he spun around, advancing slowly towards the human. He expected her to back away like she had done when he wanted his combistick, but stopped when she stood her ground and returned his gaze defiantly. Interesting. That was the only adjective he could describe her with.

"Do you understand me? I'm coming with you."

A bold claim, considering if she did fight him, the odds were weighed heavily in his favor. Then his gaze fell to the dead Serpent behind her. It definitely took strength to withstand the weight of the Serpent's attack as it slid down his combistick. While he had found the balance of focus, he could not deny the fact that another set of eyes, no matter how inferiorly designed they were, could aid him. What did he have to lose? If she died, it would not affect him. If she lived, it would not affect him. She was the only human left and based the lack of response from his cousins, he was the only Yautja left.

He noted that she had no weapons. She would not be of much help without being armed. So, he quickly went to work, fashioning her a primitive combistick from a thick stick and the tip of the Serpent's tail, and a shield from its head.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he was cutting the head with his knife. The human lacked sufficient knowledge of their common enemy. Another important lesson his father taught him was to know the enemy, their strengths, their weaknesses, anything and everything that makes them lethal in any degree.

He tore a finger from the Serpent's stiff hand and squeezed a few drops of blood onto its head. Then he squeezed some onto the floor, steaming and hissing as its blood ate the stone away. He looked up and to his relief, she nodded slightly in understanding. If she had not gotten that, he would have just given her the combistick. He could feel the abomination moving inside of him. It was growing faster than he had hoped.

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A sharp, burning pain fills every inch of his body, not sparing even his dreadlocks. His eyes squeeze shut and a roar of pain escapes him. Several hands come upon him, two to each wrist and two to each ankle, preventing him from escaping the pain inside of his chest. He roars again, his innards being pushed around by some cold metal. He tries to roll away from the pain, but two heavy weights fall upon his upper chest and lower abdomen. The pain becomes so much as something is ripped from him that he ceases vocalizing it. All he can do is lie there as his strength quickly leaves him again.

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"Got it!"

He looked back at the human. There was a smile on her face, but it quickly faded into horror. That was when pain assailed him. The ground disappeared beneath his feet and he looked down, disbelieving as he saw the oversized Serpent's tail protruding from his chest, his blood spotting it. He – came so close to living and gaining an even greater honor by defeating a Serpent Queen. He could already feel the strength leaving his body – strength that he would never possess again.

She lifted him to her face and roared with anger. Her roar ebbed to her opening her jaws, revealing her snapping tongue inside. He gave his final roar of defiance. He would not die in fear. He would die with the little honor he had. Then he was torn from her tail, the serrated edges tearing up his flesh with its retreat as he went flying into the air with a spin. He hit the ground hard and went rolling in the snow. He rolled and rolled until his weight finally stopped him on his back. Though he could not see him, he knew he was at the feet of his father, lying there with the gaping hole in his chest. He wanted to tell his father that he was sorry, that he was trying to redeem his honor and that he had become the true warrior his father had trained him to be, but the pain was too much. All he could do was lie there and wait to die.

The human appeared in his field of vision. She was blurry, but he saw her figure kneel beside him. He could do nothing as she placed her hand in his and squeezed gently. She gave him a nod, and then the last of his strength left him and the night sky, the falling snow, and the human disappeared.

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"**Cica,**" a distant voice calls him, "**Cica'trice, wake up.**"

Strangely enough, there is an absence of pain.

"**I know you can hear me, my son, open your eyes.**"

He does so slowly, allowing the dim light in. The transition from the darkness of death to this light hurts. As he blinks repeatedly, a familiar face forms above him, "**father,**" he acknowledges weakly. There is a soft, warm surface beneath him, much like a bed in the medic bay.

"**Despite all odds, you survived,**" his father clicks.

"**I'm alive?**"

"**If you were dead, we would not be having this conversation,**" he falls quiet as he studies his son's face, "**still don't believe me? Look around.**"

Cica obliges, looking about. The black walls almost resemble the Serpents' resin. Glowing red hieroglyphics are vertically aligned on the whole opposite wall, telling about many diseases, illnesses, battle wounds and their appropriate remedies. To his left and to his right there are beds lined up against the long wall, each covered with the fur of the Lith'unia, a highly desired pelt because of its ability to quicken the healing process. He meets his father's gaze again.

"**Now do you believe me?**"

"**After this, I will never doubt you again, father,**" Cica clicks.

"**I believe you.**"

The two share a small smile, Cica simply happy that he did make it after all. The abomination…

His father's smile fades to a grave expression, effectively sinking his high hopes, "**there is an important manner which we need to discuss.**"

The primal side of him wants to growl and beg for some peace and quiet so that he can get some rest and heal, but he refrains from doing so, "**I know, father,**" his stomach knots up as he notices something different about his father. He is missing something, but what?

"**We saw what was inside of you, that…**" Sen'fli growls softly and looks to the right with disgust.

"**Abomination.**"

His father meets his gaze again, the disgust still furrowing his brow ridge.

"**Yes, that abomination that was growing inside of you,**" Sen'fli leans a little closer, staring hard into Cica's eyes, "**tell me the truth. Did you mark yourself before the Serpent was inside of you? Or…,**" despite his strength, Sen'fli cannot bring himself to repeat the words that would mean his own son's dishonor. Watching his son be attacked by the Serpent, both inside and out, watching him die – Cica is his only son. He sired sixty-three female pups and his one son was a pleasant surprise when he received word of his birth. A son is valued more highly than a daughter amongst any male Yautja because they will get to train them and raise them as their own progeny once they have been weaned from their mother's milk. So when Sen'fli received the message from Cica's mother, Rac'ine, he thanked Paya for answering his prayers ten times over.

"**Father, I would never dishonor you and myself by doing such a thing!**" Cica growls, his brow furrowing and his mandibles flaring, "**I had just killed two Serpents and then marked my forehead and my mask. I was a fool for not being aware of my surroundings, as I stood and turned, a Serpent carrier had leapt from a crevice in the wall, attached itself to me and placed its own in my chest. I knew immediately what had happened, but I was weakened too quickly and passed out, that is the order of events in how this abomination came to be inside of me,**" he observes his father's face very closely, watching each small twitch of his mandibles and eyes.

"**I believe you, only because you have never lied to me in the past, however, it seems that the general consensus amongst the rest of the Clan is that you have brought dishonor upon me and yourself by marking yourself after you had the abomination inside of you.**"

Cica falls quiet for a brief moment. Why would most of the Clan doubt him? He has displayed nothing but honesty and integrity in all his years on the ship and home world. Even in the face of punishment for certain, stupid actions he took as a pup he always confessed the truth firsthand. As far as he can see, his Clan brothers have no legitimate reason to doubt his honor, let alone his father's!

"**What have I done to bring doubt upon my word? They have never doubted me before, I am not the only Yautja in history to have been impregnated with a Serpent and survive. Some of those Yautja, such as your fellow Elder, Di'ui-wen, have been impregnated with the Serpent and none doubted his honor when he told them how it happened,**" he states as a matter of fact.

"**You have no need to justify yourself to me. You have never given me a reason to not trust your word, so I will treat you no different in this manner, it is your Uncle and brother, Ul'kelyok, who I believe has sown doubt about you amongst your Clan brothers.**"

"**Uncle?**" Cica echoes in disbelief, "**but – Uncle has been nothing but kind too me. He has helped to train me while you were away on the hunt, and my cousins are my closest friends, he is the one who made my combistick and gifted it too me.**"

"**Those actions were done out of love for you, but I have noticed something in him; a change. His words toward me did not hold any sympathy when I thought you were dead.**"

The shock fades from his son's face, "**perhaps the deaths of his sons, Kliaj and Hach'oir?**" he clicks in curiosity.

Sen'fli nods once, "**p****erhaps, I cannot help but feel that this new found animosity is more than just the mourning of his sons, though.**"

"**Could it be jealousy?**"

"**Maybe, but that guess is not without its fallacies. First, Ul'kelyok has fourteen sons that are now Elite, thirty-five that are Blooded, and six Elite who could become Elders of this Clan and Captains of this ship. In his trophy case are four skulls of Serpent Queens, I only have you and three skulls of Serpent Queens. If anything, I am far more likely to envy him.**"

"**Did you tell me many times before to not compare myself to others, otherwise I would not find true happiness?**"

"**Yes, but do you recall that an Yautja's honor is dependent upon what he has compared to others?** **What I meant by this is that you should not envy a Clan brother who has more human skulls in his case, but that you should always strive to better yourself. This is the reason for our honor, not for envy of each other, but rather for the betterment of the individual.**"

Cica nods, though whether his son truly understands him or not remains to be seen. No matter how many times Sen'fli teaches his son the wisdom of Yautja thinking, it will only come to him when he needs the knowledge the most.

"**What else could it be for Uncle's animosity other than the passing of his sons, then, if he has more than you?**"

The Elder shakes his head as his brow furrows in puzzlement, "**t****hat is what I would like to know,**" he answers and sighs heavily, not wanting to think about it right now. Watching his son die at his feet, his son and his own honor questioned, and now realizing what his son has to do to rectify his mistakes has taxed him enough. Not only that, but there are more pressing matters at hand, "**rest now and heal, you need your strength for the challenges that lay ahead of you.**"

"**What are those challenges?**"

"**Well, first, you need to recover your mask, you will be able to prove the truth of your marking this way. Then, you need to repeat the Serpent Trial by yourself and bring back a specific trophy which Ul'kelyok and I have not yet decided. I do not know what else could lay ahead, but I know that this will not be put past you without more challenges than these two. This is not something that is taken lightly, especially because you are my son.**"

Cica lowers his gaze to his feet, "**I was aware of that the moment the abomination moved inside of me.**"

"**Of course you were, you have my brain.**"

Both of them trill in amusement.

"**I am not as wise as you,**" Cica clicks in disappointment as their trilling ebbs.

"**That will come with age and the hunt. Rest now, I will see you later,**" Sen'fli turns to leave.

"**Father, wait!**"

He stops and looks back to his son.

Cica's brow ridge furrows as he asks, "**Where is your combistick? You are never without it.**"

"**I gave it to the human that you marked as a reward for her efforts in battle against the Queen; tying her to the water tower was a brilliant idea.**"

"**You do not question my choice in marking her?**"

The Elder shakes his head, "**n****o, if she managed to come out of the pyramid alive, save your life and survive the battle with that Queen, then she has proven herself worthy to bear the mark.**"

"**Save? When did she save my life?**"

"**There was a point in the middle of the battle that the Queen had knocked you face down. She was about to pierce you with her tail, but the human ran beneath her underside and pierced her with the combistick you made for her.**"

When was th– the memory comes rushing back to Cica as he remembers trying to recover from being thrown far away from the Queen, only to be shoved to the ground face down again. The Queen had screeched in pain suddenly and when he got up on his feet, he saw that she was chasing the human towards the water tower.

"**She did, then,**" he clicks to himself.

The Elder nods once more, "**r****est, I will be back later,**" Sen'fli disappears out of the medic bay, leaving Cica'trice to dwell over his current situation and to mentally prepare himself for the challenges that lay ahead.

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_**A.N.:**_ I will update as soon as I can! Thanks and please review.

**Responses:**

sexyshewolf:Thank you for your ideas! I was thinking of heading in that direction. And thanks. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

jrmf: Thank you! Here is the update you asked for. I hope you enjoy it. :)


	3. Chpt 3

_**A.N.:**_ Here's the third chapter! So, hopefully you guys feel a slight understanding about Lex and her relationship to her family. It will make sense later. Sorry if this chapter moves quickly, but I want to keep the plot moving in a steady pace. Enjoy. :) No translations this time, thank God.

I want to thank those who added this story to their favorites/ alerts list and I hope this story continues to entertain you.

**Response to Reviews: **

**jrmf: **Glad you enjoyed the flashback. :) There will probably be more with Lex. Probably.

**DiamondDi: **Thanks! Each review, even if one word, is a boost to my ego. :)

**sexyshewolf: **I have decided where they will meet again. Hopefully not originally in the place you'd thought it'd be:) Let me know if my assumption is wrong.

Enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own avp.

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_**Chapter**_** 3**

_**Family**_

_10th October 2004_

As she draws closer to the shore, she sees the ship anchored there and two humanoid shadows running towards her.

"Oh shit," she mutters, her gaze dropping to the hunter's mask and the spear resting on the seat next to her. Mr. Weyland made it quite clear that he was not in the pyramid to simply explore. He was after the hunters' technology. But what did he want to use it for? The power of the hunter's bomb – is that something that should be in the hands of mankind? Something that powerful, and yet that simple to carry? It is the hunters' technology. An advanced alien race, having had relatively peaceful relations with humans since the beginning of man's existence – is it really wise to start messing with their technology and invoke their wrath? Maybe start an Intergalactic War?

Her mother always scoffed at the people wanting to seek aliens out in the universe, sending out signals, hoping for another intelligent life form to respond. Something along the lines of, "why would we want to let an advanced and hostile alien race know where we are?" 'hostile' is a key word.

A shiver slips down her spine as the men draw closer to her. She looks about in slight panic, and to her relief, finds a large backpack beneath the seat. If she is careful, she will be able to sneak the mask and the spear aboard without any of the crew noticing she has it. Grabbing the pack, she puts the spear in first and then the mask. She looks back, the men now distinguishable. They are carrying semiautomatics in their arms. So they are armed, too?

Lex reaches for the handle to open the door, but stops. The mark! They will see the mark on her cheek for sure! Her hair will not hide it! She looks back to her surroundings, but finds nothing of use to properly cover her! All Lex can do is use her hair to cover the mark. Just as the two men open the door, she lowers her hands into her lap, having tucked a bunch of her hair into the front of her shirt, covering up the left side of her face effectively. The sub-zero temperature rushes into the warm vehicle making her shiver.

"Ms. Woods?!" one man gasps as the other quickly drapes a thick blanket about her shoulders, "where's the rest of the team?! Where's Mr. Weyland?!" she quickly gathers the backpack to her front, pulling the blanket around her and concealing the alien technology from them.

"They're all…," the memories come rushing back to her, how everyone was just picked off one by one until it was just her. The shot for Sebastian echoes in her mind as if a shot has just rang out, "…dead, everything was collapsing, I'm the only one who made it out."

"Collapsing? What do you mean?"

She can do nothing except feign shock, fear and disbelief. She forces some tears from her eyes and she begins to shake with fear – real fear, letting all the emotions she felt when shooting Sebastian come out.

"Dead!" she sobs, her hair soaking up the tears from her left eye, "they're all dead!"

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_25th November 2004_

Thanksgiving – the day to give thanks for all one has.

Lex stands on the doorstep of her mother's two story house, the candied yams warming her hands through her purple gloves. All the lights are on inside and there is a soft chatter of voices. The snow falls softly, the ground as white as it was on Bouvetoya Island. Lex breathes in and releases a visible cloud of vapor. Balancing the bowl in one hand, she knocks softly on the door three times and returns her freezing fingers to the warm bowl. Everyone inside the house becomes as quiet as death – just like when she was alone in those dark, damp, cold halls of the pyramid. The door opens, revealing a pretty square face with wrinkles about the eyes, lips and short black hair.

"Lexie!" her mother squeals with joy and relief, her chunky arms pulling Lex into an awkward embrace as she tries to not drop the candied yams, "oh my God! I'm so happy you're here! So, so happy!" she pulls back and plants three pecks to either cheek with her thick painted lips, leaving cold dampness in its wake.

As her mother returns to a straight position, Lex cannot help but wince as she sees some of her thick cover up powder coating her lips.

"What…" her mother's smile fades, dabbing her lips and looking at the mocha colored powder on her fingertips, "…darling, you have no pimples! What are you wearing cover up for?!"

For the past couple of weeks, Lex has packed her cover-up over the mark. The scar is too precise, too – intentional. Rather than raising suspicion amongst her family, friends and anybody else she comes into contact with, she figures it best to hide the mark. While it means something in the hunter's culture, it means nothing but that Lex is insane here. Who would believe that a hunter from outer space marked her because he thought she was worthy of it? Or whatever reason he marked her for. She could only think it was for her successful kills of those black, serpentine-like aliens.

"I do have a few pimples," she says quickly, "point is," she quickly wraps one arm about her mother's neck, holding the candied yams against her belly, "I'm so happy to be here! I haven't seen you in over a year!"

"Oh, goodness, Lexie! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

The two pull a part and Lex holds up the candied yams – almost like a sort of peace offering, "I brought my dish!"

"Oooh!" she takes the dish from her hands and her chocolate eyes take in Lex's full figure, her shoulders, hair and the top of her head dusted lightly with snow, "oh, heavens, child! Come in, please! You must be freezin' your bun buns off!"

"Mom," Lex groans as she steps into the heat of the house, "same as ever, Momma dearest."

"And will never change, daughter dearest," she teases back as she steps behind her and shuts the door.

"Is that our little Lex?!" Lex turns to see Grandma and Grandpa Harrigan, looking as old as ever, frail little Grandpa with his chest high pants and short, round Grandma with her nun-like skirt and blouse. Lex approaches the two out of concern for their elderly gaits and embraces them both with a huge smile, one arm hovering around either neck.

"It's me! I'm so happy to see you both! I've missed you guys!"

Both of them wrap their freer arms weakly about her, their hands barely patting her back.

"We've missed you more, sweetie!" Grandma Harrigan says in her sweet, aged voice.

"I'll bet I missed you most!" Lex contends playfully, gently easing herself from the two frail people. Her gaze falls to Grandpa and she takes in his appearance. God – his face shape, his hair style and his thinning lips bring back images of Mr. Weyland sacrificing himself so that she and Sebastian could have another shot at survival, no matter how slim that shot was. But he is not Mr. Weyland.

"I love you, Grandpa," Lex says softly.

The two hug softly again, "I love you, too, Lex," and pull away.

Lex embraces her Aunt Anita, her mother's sister, and Anita's husband, Uncle Robert, and there twin sons, Henry and Jacob.

"Honey," mom calls her attention, "let me take your coat, dear."

Lex unzips her powder blue parka, shrugs it off her shoulders and hands it to her mom.

"Oh my…," Mom trails off as she eyes Lex's sleeveless lilac dress shirt, "you have never looked more beautiful," a certain matronly pride shines in her eyes.

Lex cannot help the heat as it rushes up her cheeks like she is some foolish schoolgirl, "I was saving the shirt for a special occasion."

"And what an occasion," her mother says with a grin.

"Alexa?" the soft chattering of family falls silent. That voice – Lex lifts her gaze to the top of the oaken, scarlet carpeted stairs, her jaw dropping as she meets the fourteen year old girl's wide, dark eyes.

"Jamie?" she asks, the shock keeping her voice soft and tender. A huge grin spreads her plump lips as a gasp of delight escapes her.

"Alexa!" Jamie runs down the stairs as Lex positions herself at the bottom step, "Sis!"

"Sis!"

Jamie jumps into her sister's arms, her arms wrapping tightly about Lex's neck. Lex cannot help but laugh with joy as she runs her fingers through her sister's long, thick black hair, "oh my God…," Lex trails off in disbelief as the two pull apart to meet each other's eyes, lifting a lock of her hair to view its length better, "when did your hair get this long?!"

"When did your hair get this long?!" Jamie echoes, taking a strand of Lex's hair and pulling it out to its full length without hurting her. The two laugh in excitement as they look each other up and down, both equally curious to see the changes they have undergone since they have last seen each other. Lex cannot believe her own eyes. When did her sister get boobs? And hips? The last time she saw her, she was a flat chested, ruler figured girl, but now – her vision becomes blurry as the tears well up, threatening to fall.

"You've grown so much," Lex stifles a sob and affectionately brushes her soft, flawless cheek with the back of her index finger, "when did you grow into a young little lady?"

"Over this past summer," Jamie explains, her own eyes glistening in the soft yellow light, "I had a big growth spurt."

"I'll say you did," Lex chokes out past the lump that has formed in her throat. The two embrace each other tightly again, simply content to be in each other's arms, "oh!" Lex remembers, a burst of excitement pulling her reluctant arms from her little sister, "look what I got you!" she reaches into her jeans pocket and pulls out the treasured candy; a blue raspberry flavored ring sucker, Jamie's favorite candy.

"Oh my God!" she squeals with excitement as she takes the ring sucker out of Lex's palm, "thank you! And I got you something!"

"Ooohhh, what?!" Jamie reaches into her own jeans pocket and pulls out a strawberry flavored ring sucker, "your favorite candy!"

"Yes! Oh, definitely!" Lex accepts the candy with a huge grin.

They lock gazes and count down in unison, "three, two…one!" the two quickly rip open their packages, each trying to beat the other in a test of who can put the candy in their mouth first. Jamie's fingers work more quickly than Lex's, fishing the sucker out of the package and sticking it in her mouth a fraction of a second before her big sister. Lex groans in frustration, creating a stark contrast with the smile puffing out her lips about the ring sucker, the familiar strawberry taste teasing her tongue, bringing back fond memories of when the two were younger and still happy in childhood.

"Mike's here!" Mother announces. Like little children, Alexa and Jamie run to the living room window and pull aside the white translucent curtains. Trudging across the snow covered lawn and bundled up as if he was going skiing is the tall, strong, yet elderly man.

"There's health-nut Uncle!" Jamie cries.

"Uncle Mike!" Lex abandons the window and rushes to her mother's side as she opens the door. As soon as the door is wide enough, Alexa rushes out into the cold and wraps her arms about the unsuspecting man's neck, "Uncle Mike! You're here!"

"Ho!" he nearly stumbles back from the sudden body slam, but he regains his balance and pulls the strange woman from him. Alexa cannot help her brow as it furrows in confusion. The two lock gazes, his eyes studying her as if she was an alien from some distant planet – not a hostile alien, anyways.

"Uncle Mike, don't you recognize me?" she asks with a disheartening tone. After a couple seconds of silence and examining, his eyes widen in shock.

"Alexa?" his voice is soft, still sounding exactly the same as it had when he told stories about his escapades when he was a policeman in Los Angeles.

"Yes!" she answers quickly.

"The Alexa Woods?" a very familiar grin spreads his thick, dark lips; a teasing one, "the gorgeous, young lady who is the youngest woman on record to reach the top of Mount Everest with no oxygen?"

"Oh," she mirrors his grin, "and are you the Michael Harrigan who destroyed fifteen police cars in the line of duty, as well as two city buses and a street sweeper?"

"And also received fifteen commendations for valor in the line of duty and still holds the best felony arrest record in the history of the LAPD?" he adds, "don't forget the good he's done."

"How could I, Uncle Mike?"

"There's my Lexie!" he pulls her into a hug and she returns it, squeezing him like he is her lifeline.

"Ah, Mike?"

Mom draws his gaze to her as his niece releases him, but he still keeps his arm about her shoulders, "yes, Helen?"

She thrusts her right hip out and plants her fist against it, "based on your empty arms, should I assume you did not make the green bean casserole?"

"Oh, my dear sister, my arms are not empty," he nods to his niece, his arm still about her shoulders.

Mom scoffs at this.

"Mom," Jamie says, coming into the small foyer of the house, "you know not to trust Uncle Mike with something as important as the green bean casserole!"

"Jamie!" Mike releases Lex and accepts the girl's body slam with a huge, irreplaceable grin.

"Well, bein' a fool I did," Helen says with regret, shaking her head and turning away.

"Hey, guys! Dinner's ready!" Aunt Anita calls from the kitchen.

"Good! I'm starving!" Mike shouts.

Everybody starts towards the kitchen, but Lex lingers by the door, closes it and locks the deadbolt, not removing her gaze from her family the whole time. All of them are dear, sweet and concerned people. Being away from them for a whole year almost made her forget the treasures that are found in the family life, particularly hers. Climbing cliff sides and mountains, taking groups and families on personal tours if they paid appropriately, was what Lex thought was her passion. But that took her away from family as she had every week booked with different clients. Maybe – she should set aside being the mountain guide business for now and spend some time with her mom and sister. She has some money saved, so it will be fine. Perhaps in time, she can also move past what happened in Antarctica. She doubts the nightmares will end anytime soon, but being with her family will no doubt offer her that much need support, even if they do not know what happened to her down there.

"Lex!" Mom calls from the kitchen, the room partially hidden from view behind the stairs, "food's gettin' cold!"

"Coming!" slipping the ring sucker about her pinkie, the only finger the cheap plastic band actually fits, she heads into the kitchen.

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Lex runs her hand over her bloated belly with such tenderness one would think her pregnant. It is only the turkey, the stuffing, the candied yams, the mashed potatoes, the salad, and the brownie inside of her. The females are now sitting at the dinner table chatting away, like usual, and the males have moved into the living room to talk about sports. What is going on right now? Basketball? Baseball? No, definitely not baseball. It is way too cold this time of year. It must be basketball. Or maybe it is hockey. She could honestly care less about sports.

"Lex, dear?" Mom pulls her out of her reverie.

"Yes?"

"Would you play the piano for us?"

"Oh, geez, Mom, it's been two months since I –"

"Oh, please, dear, I haven't heard you're fingers tickle those beautiful ivories since last Christmas," her mother pleads.

Lex cannot help the laugh that escapes her at the sight.

"If you don't use it, you lose it," Jamie chimes in.

"I…" Lex turns her head to her sister as she crunches on the last bit of her ring sucker.

"Oh…" Lex heaves a small sigh. There is no denying her sister's logic, "alright," she slowly rises from her seat and turns to face the oaken upright sitting in the living room – at the center of attention. Uncle Robert, Grandpa and the twin boys sit on the green couch, listening to Uncle Mike retell a story of his. As Helen, Grandma with the help of Anita's arm and Jamie stand behind Lex, they all listen to the man at the center of attention.

"I was at Better Health when this happened. I get in line with my stuff in hand. A young, healthy man comes in line behind me, so to make friendly conversation, I turn to him and ask 'I like this store. How about you?' He goes 'Why yes, Sir, I do, I prefer a healthy lifestyle.' Then I say 'So do I, I shop here all the time. Did you know…that I am only twenty years old?'" Lex and Jamie share a quick look and then turn their gazes back at Uncle Mike. He is a sixty year old man and has plenty of grey hair and wrinkles to show for it.

"The man looks me up and down, nodding…," Uncle Mike imitates the man's stance, nodding his head, "…and he says 'Wow – you look like shit,'" laughter breaks out from everyone, Uncle Mike making eye contact with Lex, a small connection of joy and admiration forming between them.

As the laughter ebbs, Lex says with a grin, "If you don't mind me interrupting you males, I've got to perform a piano recital."

"Forced into it?" Uncle Mike guesses as Lex steps down into the living room and heads towards the piano.

"Yep, how'd you know?" she takes a seat on the cool bench, keeping her gaze on him.

"Heard you guys from the dining room, I swear," he looks to the other four as they make themselves at home on the couch, "if I didn't know any better, I would have guessed there were fifty people in there."

"Oh, hush up!" Helen snaps with a teasing hint as she grabs a handful of his mustard yellow dress shirt and pulls him down onto the arm of the couch, "let's listen."

"Mom," Lex twists her upper body to look back at her, "I haven't touched a piano in two months, so don't expect a masterpiece."

"Well, then play somethin' you know."

"Like what?"

"Some sort of Christmas tune, Thanksgivin's over! Time for Christmas!"

"But it is still the 25th. How can it be Christmas time already?" Mike asks, feigning content with his sound logic.

"In my opinion, once the turkey's deboned, the Christmas Season's here!"

"Well, in my opinion, once it is December 1st, then the Christmas Season is here," he responds in kind.

"Great! While you two hash out terms of when Christmas starts, I'm going to hand the piano over to Grandp-" she nearly makes it out of playing.

Her mother says, "ah no! No, no, no! You are goin' to play a Christmas tune."

"Why?!" Lex whines, a sudden shame washing over her as she realizes how childish she sounds, whining the way she did.

Her mother seems unfazed, however, "because you're my daughter, because I just cooked you a big meal, because I haven't seen you in over a year! Now, play somethin', darlin'."

As much as she hates to admit it, her mother is right with every reason she gave. Lex owes her this much, at least. With a soft sigh, she braces herself for the slew of bum notes that are sure to ring as she faces the instrument. Two months is a long time, and she does not know which song she can remember the best. Hesitantly, she stretches her thumb and pinkie on her left hands and hits the two D's below middle C, an octave separating them. Alright, that was not so hard. She throws in her right hand and begins messing around, hitting bum notes left and right as she desperately tries to gather any wisp of her repertoire. As she continues fooling around, her left hand hits two C's an octave apart. The fingers on her right hand naturally move to a C chord and begin playing the notes. Everything falls into place as the song continues, all of it coming back to her in a flash.

The love and the passion she had for piano had disappeared after Antarctica, but now, it is alive in her again! Just like old times! A soft, beautiful voice makes her jump, but she does not skip a beat in the music.

"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, it's the best time of the year. I don't know if there'll be snow, but let's all give a cheer," Jamie is standing beside her, pouring her own heart and soul into the piece of art coming into fruition. Lex remains silent, only her fingers speaking for her as they become one with her little sister's voice, "oh by golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year!" Jamie carries it to the last note and Lex lifts her fingers from the keys, leaving her foot on the pedal to let the music resonate. The two look to each other, wide smiles spreading their faces.

"Just like old times," Alexa says softly.

"Just like old times."

The two hug each other tightly. Applause fills the air along with Uncle Mike's whooping.

"You promise to be here for Christmas?" Jamie speaks into her ear loud enough to be heard only by Alexa.

"I promise."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

_26 November 2004_

A long, quiet yawn comes out of Lex's mouth as she enters her house and shuts the door behind her, locking the bottom lock and slipping her house and car keys into the deadbolt. She unzips her black boots, falls back against the front door for support and pulls them off, tossing them onto the landing with little care. Straightening, she steps up onto the hardwood floor and unzips her parka. _Creak..._

She freezes in her steps, keeping her gaze to the floor as she listens more closely…

Silence. She releases the breath she has been holding and shakes her head. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard the distinct creaking sound that is heard down by her bedroom when someone steps there. She starts to shrug off her parka, but stops as scenes from horror movies come to mind; scenes of how the unsuspecting victim dismisses the sound as nothing and continues on with their business, only to be quickly killed thereafter by the hidden monster. Out of fear, she dives to the floor, grabs the spear she had received from the older hunter hidden beneath the couch and jumps to her feet again, slipping her finger over the button in the middle of the shaft and extending it to its full length with a metallic ring. Who is she kidding? She does not know how to wield this weapon properly. Some weapon is better than no weapon at all, though.

She creeps between the living room and the kitchen to the hallway, searching cautiously for anything that might give the trespasser away. As she reaches the floor beam in the hallway, the same creak sounds beneath her foot. Her bedroom door is open and the room is dark inside. Did she leave her bedroom door open when she left? She could have sworn it was closed. Releasing the spear with her left hand, she reaches inside and flips the switch on the wall. Soft, yellow light floods the room. She freezes at the sight.

Two men stand before her, covered from head to toe in black except for their eyes with semiautomatics in their hands, the barrels aimed at her. Behind them, her room has been torn to pieces. All of her clothes have been pulled out of her closet and dresser, tossed everywhere. Her bed sheets had been pulled off and the mattress shredded in multiple spots. To her horror she sees her gray safe on the floor, the door having been ripped off and its precious contents spilled out onto the floor – except for the hunter's mask.

She spins around, only to have three more barrels pointed at her head. Before she can even think, the butt of a gun hits back of her head and knocks her to the ground, unconscious.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

_**A.N.:**_You will find out what happens next chapter. I apologize if this chapter seemed to glaze over Lex's family life, but I want to create a short-lived feeling for both you and her, meaning that she will come to regret not having spent more time with them. Let me know if I pulled this off successfully. Thanks.


	4. DEAR READERS,

Dear Readers,

I apologize if you miss the chapters, but this story is going under some serious rewrite due to some cannon mistakes that I have made and some character inconsistencies. Have some patience with me. It is my mistake for not writing the full story first and editing it before uploading it to fanfiction for all of you guys to read. I feel that I am making _too _many changes and will confuse you guys by the end of this story. It is a mistake that I am currently working to fix. It will take some time, but I will upload the story when I am done. Thank you for your patience and your understanding.

Lemon Leopard


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